The invention presents a novel intuitive operating concept for preparing a vehicle for travel.
The invention proceeds from conventional motor vehicles which are started for operation by means of an ignition switch which is actuated, by way of example, via an ignition key or an engine start/stop button, wherein particularly a drive engine—most commonly in the form of an internal combustion engine—is first started. Next, to continue to prepare the vehicle for travel, a gear is selected and a clutch is engaged to produce a frictional connection between the drive engine and the driven wheels. This can occur manually by means of gear shifters, or automatically by electronically-controlled automatic transmissions.
The problem addressed by the invention is that of simplifying the preparation of a vehicle for travel.
In the method according to the invention, in a motor vehicle having at least one drive engine, the vehicle is made ready for travel—at least as concerns the starting of the drive engine (for example starting an internal combustion engine and/or starting a high-voltage system of an electric engine), and preferably also as concerns the establishment of the frictional connection between the drive engine and the driven wheels—by way of a combination operating element which is actuated manually by the driver, without relying on a manually actuated operating element (e.g. an ignition key or an engine start/stop switch) which is provided for at least the first starting of the drive engine when the vehicle is started, when at least one manually generated command to select a gear is given by the driver by way of actuation of a combination operating element.
The invention is based on an understanding of the following. Modern vehicles with an increasing number of electrical and electronic convenience equipment are no longer used only in two modes of use—particularly park or drive—as earlier. Rather, vehicle users are increasingly occupying their vehicle as an inhabitable space offering an array of computer-based functions which can be used without the vehicle being made ready for travel. Therefore, the invention particularly proceeds from three modes of use—particularly “park,” “inhabit” or “drive.”
In this case, the concrete desire to start the drive engine is more of a secondary concern. Rather, a modern vehicle user thinks of functions as park, inhabit or drive. In addition, a sufficient number of sensors are included in current vehicles to effectively detect the desire of the vehicle operator to start the drive function of the vehicle. Therefore, it is sufficient for the vehicle to detect that the driver wants to utilize a drive function at this point. The vehicle then itself initiates the required measures as a result. The function instilled earlier [in drivers] of first starting the drive engine, is made obsolete by the invention. The driver is liberated.
Method steps for automatically stopping and re-starting a drive engine following a first start when the motor vehicle is turned on are further possible according to the invention after the vehicle is made ready for travel—but are subordinate. The invention only relates to the first start of a drive engine, particularly proceeding from an “inhabit” mode.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.